anyone else experience a funky smell mainly when windows are down? Don't smell it when windows are up and air or heat on. No smell from any of the vents. Get a headache after awhile. Thinking previous owner may have used ecigs but have no idea if they even have a odor.

 

Sounds to me like a leaking catalytic converter.
Why would ecigs smell with the windows down, but not when they are up ?

 

smell coming from enclosed area separating front from back. Pulled plastic part that runs from side to side and WOW! Not converter smell, but not sure what it was. Maybe just a build up of fumes from over the yrs.

 

Sounds like carbon monoxide. The headache is a clue. Very dangerous. Check the whole exhaust system for small leaks. When your windows are open, air is sucked into the cabin. If you have an exhaust leak, CO fumes will be sucked into the cabin, giving you a headache. After the headache gets worse, you can pass out. Please get this fixed immediately.

 

carbon monoxide don't STINK

 

That has the gas tank in it and is open to both of the rear wheel wells. Maybe the smell is coming from the wheel wells. If fumes are coming through the vents that equalize the air pressure, these vents are in the rear wheel wells, they could be coming from the outside. If the smell is coming from inside the car then maybe the area got wet, has a dead animal in it or whatever.
How long have you had the car, has it been in a flood situation?

 

Hello,

I just got finished fighting the fumes battle. They were coming from multiple places. Thanks to assistance from forum members, I was able to track them all down. Outside fumes were coming from a previously-repaired leak in an exhaust pipe. The leak was positioned below the shift console and fumes were making there way through to the cabin. Also, produced an strong odor outside. Could barely take having the top or windows down. On the path to discovery and in addition to having that repaired today at a local, reputable shop (not he Stealer), I did the following:

- Resealed the valve cover vents;

- Removed, cleaned and reinstalled one valve cover gasket (not recommended. I took this off by accident,
will be replacing with a new one shortly);

- Removed the RCM, inspected and reinstalled (I read here that this connects to a pump that recycles
exhaust gasses. Disconnecting the battery for an extended period and removing this seems to have
reset something. I noticed immediately and doing so eliminated the P0410 code; and

- Replaced the cabin filter with a forum-recommended charcoal filter;

I hope this helps. Believe me, I have felt your pain. Know you are in the right place.

Good Luck.

 

The air pump DOES NOT recycle exhaust gasses.
It adds additional air ( oxygen ) to the exhaust at startup to more quickly heat up the O2 sensors so the emissions control can go into closed loop quicker, thus reducing the overall emissions.

 

Thanks for the clarification on this. Did not mean to mislead.
In an older thread, I read "This pump recirculates the exhaust gas for emissions...i think its similar to an EGR valve". As I reviewed the thread again this evening, I noticed that 8 months later, someone posted "That is the AIR system pump and it does just what it's name implies, pumping air into the exhaust stream to get the primary catalytic converters warmed up faster."

Just goes to show, on this site, good information can come from anyone at any time, reading is fundamental (RIF) and just like our passion for Crossfires, a thread is never dead.

 

You will.notice that there are many posts that contain bad information as well as good information. As you have found the whole thread has to be read and the good sorted from the bad.
There are current threads that contain bad info, some has been corrected by others but some has not been refuted.

 

Yep. Sho you right. RIF. I'll keep a keen eye, watch my words and take it over The Stealer anytime!!